Genre: Of the ten genres outlined in Save the Cat! I classified this as a Rite of Passage. It is about a boy dealing with significant life change (an adolescent passage) and how he adapts to that change. The B-Story character, Mr Han, has to accept a death passage and move on, as well.
The three distinguishing characteristics of the Rite of Passage genre are listed below.
- A ‘life problem’ – Due to his mother’s career, Dre is forced to move from Detroit to China. He struggles to fit into a new culture and must overcome some particularly potent bullies.
- A ‘wrong way’ to attack the problem – Dre tries to fight off the bullies, but he is not equipped with the skills to defeat them. His motivation for wanting to beat them up is flawed.
- A solution that involves ‘acceptance’ of the hard truth that it is not the world that needs to change, but the hero that needs to change – Dre realises that his actions have repercussions, that he must act with honour if he is to belong in any culture, and that the real reason to face bullies is to overcome your fears, not merely to see them beaten up.
Alrighty then, on with the beatsheet.
Opening Image: Marks on a doorway chart the growth of Dre Parker. Important events are noted next to his height at the time. In a matter of a couple of shots we are able to understand the dynamics of the story. Dre (Jaden Smith) needs a father figure and is resentful of his relocation to China.
Theme Stated: Four minutes in and the Parkers are on-board the plane carrying them to China. Dre’s mother, Sherry (Taraji P. Henson) forces him to speak Mandarin to ask the name of a Chinese man sitting across the aisle from him. The man’s response sums up Dre’s attitude. “Dude, I’m from Detroit.” For most of the movie, Dre longs to return to his Detroit roots.
Set-up: The growth chart is a powerful device that sets up a number of Dre’s characteristics. It reveals his interest in athletics, the death of his father and it shows that he has lived in the same apartment since before he was in Kindergarten. This invests the move to China with additional emphasis. Not only is he moving from the only home he has known, he is moving to a foreign country with an unfamiliar culture.
Dre’s immaturity, however, has followed him, as shown by the disrespect he shows his mother in continuing to leave his clothes strewn on the floor. This device becomes a key symbol to chart Dre’s growth over the course of the movie. In China, Dre is befriended by an American boy, Harry. But it is not all good. The television shows are in foreign language, and Dre cannot help but feel ill-at-ease in this new country.
At the ten minute mark, Dre’s mother asks Dre to go and find the maintenance man, Mr Han (Jackie Chan). Dre’s first contact with Mr Han is brief and not very positive.
Catalyst: On the way back from seeing Mr Han, Dre is called over by Harry to play some basketball at the park. There, Dre meets Meiying, a cute Chinese girl. Dre introduces himself and they begin to flirt. This action sets up the main story, initiated by Dre’s desire for Meiying. It is Dre’s attraction for Meiying that sets up a powerful antagonism between himself and Cheng, a Chinese boy named Cheng. 17 minutes in, Cheng beats Dre up.
Debate: How will Dre handle his bullies. Will Dre’s quickness and athleticism enable him to defeat them? Will he be able to fit into his new culture? We see Dre in a variety of uncomfortable situations. He arrives at school in the wrong uniform, Cheng knocks over his food in the cafeteria line – what will Dre do to try and win?
Break Into Two: (24m) Dre thinks the answer is Kung Fu. We watch him as he stands in front of the TV, trying to learn Kung Fu.
B-Story: As Dre practices some Kung Fu moves, Mr Han arrives, to fix the hot water. He is our B-story. He will provide the guidance and direction Dre needs to overcome Cheng, but more importantly he provides the spiritual guidance Dre needs to truly master himself through his Kung Fu training. He does not, however, step into his role quite yet.
Fun and Games: Dre experiences various beatings at the hands of Cheng and his buddies. He thinks the answer will be found at a huge Kung Fu training ground, run Master Li. Dre realises he has actually entered the lair of his adversary, Cheng. Dre hides from Cheng at school and continues flirting with Meiying.
A key moment occurs when Dre tries to use his athleticism and speed to gain an advantage against Cheng. He throws a bucket of water on the unsuspecting bully and sprints off. Cheng and his posse, however, catch up and begin to inflict a severe beating when Mr Han intervenes. Dre watches in amazement as Mr Han defeats a half-dozen opponents at once. Mr Han uses Chinese healing techniques to help Dre recover from his injuries.
51 minutes in, Mr Han takes Dre with him to Master Li. Mr Han is forced to enter Dre into the Kung Fu tournament, but at least Master Li promises that the attacks from Cheng will stop.
Dre trains, but all Mr Han gets him to do is put his jacket on, take it off, hang it on a peg, drop it to the ground and repeat, ad nauseam.
Mid-Point: 65 minutes in Dre has his False Victory. He pinky promise with Meiying that he will go to her violin audition and she will come to his tournament. They share a kiss, but things must get much worse before they get better.
Bad Guys Close In: In this movie, this beat is less about the external bad guys, and more about Dre’s internal doubts and failure to learn his lessons properly. Dre confronts Mr Han about the futility of his training. He thinks the jacket lesson is about respect (he always ignores his mother’s pleas to put his jacket up) and refuses to continue what he considers a pointless exercise. At the 69 minute mark, Mr Han shows Dre the full reason for the jacket routine. All along, it has been training his body how to move in a Kung Fu style. Mr Han takes Dre to the Dragon Pool, high atop a distant mountain. There, Dre is mesmerised by various Kung Fu experts. The most intriguing to him is a lady, who spars with a cobra. Dre drinks from the dragon pool but still shows a slowness to understand the lessons Mr Han is trying to teach him.
All is Lost: At the 79 minute mark Dre demonstrates that he still has not learnt what he needs. He wants to be able to control others, but Han tells him that there’s only one person he needs to learn how to control – himself.
Dark Night of the Soul: 90 minutes in, Dre experiences a defeat far worse than Cheng’s punches. At her father’s instigation, Meiying rejects Dre. She tells him that they can no longer be friends and that he is bad for her life.
Mr Han, too, has his moment of despair. Dre returns to Mr Han’s place, only to find him laying into the car he has lovingly restored with a sledge-hammer. Dre discovers that Mr Han was in a car accident that killed his wife and child. Every year Han restores a car and then smashes it, somehow trying to atone for his mistake.
Break into Three: (97m) Dre tries to console Mr Han. He gathers some of the Kung Fu training devices and uses Kung Fu to bring healing to Han. He is finally beginning to learn the lessons he needs to successfully navigate this transition in his life.
Finale: Although Dre is learning his lessons, Meiying’s rejection continues at school. Also, Dre’s inability to kick the high bell training apparatus shows he is not yet ready to overcome – but, the day of the Tournament approaches despite his unreadiness.
1. Gathering the Team (105m)
Dre realises he must cooperate with the cultural expectations of the society he is now in. He asks Mr Han how to restore Meiying’s honour. Dre fronts up to her home and speaks in Mandarin to her father. Meiying’s father relents, and Meiying is allowed to keep her promise to go to the Tournament with Dre.
2. Executing the Plan (106m)
Dre finally kicks the high bell, which initiates a cool optical effect transition to the tournament. Although he defeats his first opponent, Dre lacks confidence and an understanding of the rules. His humiliation is shown to all in the arena on a giant television set.
3. The High-Tower Surprise (114m)
Master Li tells another of his student not just to beat Dre, but to break him. This student nearly breaks Dre’s leg and earns a disqualification. Dre is through to the next round, but at an extreme price.
4. Dig, Deep Down (117m)
Dre has a busted leg. He is allowed a two minute medical break. Mr Han is proud of Dre’s efforts, but it is obvious that he is in no condition to continue the tournament. In a nod back to an earlier sequence, Dre pleads with Mr Han to use the Chinese medicine on his injury to ease the pain and allow him to continue the tournament. Mr Han thinks that Dre wants to gain personal vengeance, but Dre demonstrates his personal growth by revealing he wants to fight to overcome his fear, not to exact revenge on Cheng. Dre hobbles out, to the applause and admiration of the crowd.
5. Execution of the New Plan
Dre shows his bravery, but can he defeat Cheng? He was hard-pressed to defeat him in full health, with a crippled leg, the odds seem insurmountable. Dre adapts, however, and is able to call on the lessons he learnt from the cobra-lady near the Dragon Pool to defeat Cheng.
Closing Image: (127m) Dre’s victory is celebrated on the big screen, for all to see. The growth chart on the door was a private record of growth and achievement but here, Dre’s victory is publicly celebrated. He is handed the trophy by Cheng, and has earnt his respect. Cheng and his cohort also show their respect to Mr Han as Master Li watches on. Dre and Mr Han touch fists (an American style congrats). Dre has successfully charted a passage through learning a new culture while retaining elements of his own culture. He has changed and grown as he realises that he was the one that needed to change, rather than the world around him.